The most exciting wide receiver in the NFL a year ago was Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants who took the league by storm once he got on the field in Week 5. The fantasy football numbers Beckham Jr. had in 2014 were simply staggering. He had 197 fantasy points in 12 games which is the most in NFL history for a wide receiver in his first 12 games. What can we expected from OBJ in 2015?
Historic Numbers
Beckham averaged 17 points per game a year ago which puts him in a very elite class of wide receivers. Only Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Isaac Bruce and Calvin Johnson have ever averaged 16 points or more through a full 16-game season. Beckham had 204 points in just 12 games played last season. And the numbers are even better if you consider that he had 185 fantasy points in his last ten games. There are only five other players in NFL history, regardless of position, who have scored that many points in a 10-game stretch. Jerry Rice scored 208 in a ten-game stretch in 1987, Randy Moss had 196 in a great stretch in 2007, Mushin Mahammad had 191 in 2004 while Rice had 187 in 1986.
Sophomore Slumps
There have been 60 rookie wide receivers who scored 100 fantasy points or more since 1990 and only 28 of those receivers had at least that many points or more the following season. Beckham would seem to be a receiver that should avoid a sophomore slump but you might want to be careful on some of the other great rookies from last season like Mike Evans, Kevin Benjamin and Sammy Watkins as history says at least one or two of them will slump this season.
Victor Cruz’s Return
How will the return of Victor Cruz to the New York Giants offense impact Beckham? The addition of another great receiver should open up the field more for Beckham but his targets will likely go down. Beckham averaged over 1.6 fantasy points per target a year ago which is better than any other rookie wide receiver in NFL history other than Randy Moss. Beckham may not average 17 points per game in 2015 with Cruz taking some of his targets away but he should still put up great numbers.
Where Will OBJ be Drafted?
The average draft position (ADP) for Beckham Jr. is probably going to be somewhere in the second round of standard fantasy football 12-team leagues. There are some people who will take a shot with him late in the first round but most people will take him in the second round.
